Government payments to help farmers reduce ammonia pollution have been greeted as “encouraging” by agricultural leaders in East Anglia.

Defra says agriculture is responsible for 88pc of all UK emissions of ammonia, which can be released into the atmosphere from agricultural sources like slurry, rotting farm waste and fertiliser, and can combine with other pollutants to form fine particulate matter (PM) which is harmful to human health.

The department has launched its long-awaited Clean Air Strategy, which will provide farmers with support to invest in infrastructure and equipment to reduce emissions of the gas.

Funding has been made available through the Countryside Productivity Scheme to help farmers buy manure management equipment including low-emission spreaders, while the Countryside Stewardship Scheme will have funding options for slurry tank and lagoon covers in priority water catchments.

“Over the past 30 years the industry has reduced ammonia emissions on farm by 10pc through good practice in managing soil, manure, fertiliser and feed, but we recognise that more is required to reach the ambitious targets this new strategy sets,” he said.

“Farmers can improve their infrastructure and their management to get additional emissions reductions but this all comes at a cost. So it is encouraging that government will provide farmers with the support they need in areas such as slurry storage and low emission spreading equipment.

“These investments take time and we are concerned that the timescales proposed could put financial strain on businesses. It is incorrect to assume that larger operations are better equipped to make these changes more quickly than others in the sector.”